Mumbai has been deluged by heavy in a single day monsoon rains, inflicting in depth waterlogging, site visitors snarls, and important disruptions to suburban prepare companies, prompting an IMD alert and civic groups to stay on excessive alert.
IMAGE: Rainwater amassed on tracks at Dadar railway station on Western line after heavy rains hit Mumbai. {Photograph}: Hemant Waje/Rediff
Key Factors
- Mumbai acquired over 300 mm of rainfall in some areas inside 24 hours, resulting in important waterlogging throughout low-lying areas.
- Suburban prepare companies, particularly on Central Railway’s Trans-Harbour line, had been disrupted because of water accumulation on tracks and a monitor cave-in.
- The southwest monsoon arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday, 13 days later than its ordinary onset date of June 10.
- The India Meteorological Division (IMD) initially issued a crimson alert for Mumbai and Palghar, later downgrading it to an orange alert.
- Civic and catastrophe administration groups are on excessive alert, monitoring rain-related incidents as heavy rainfall is predicted to proceed.
The season’s first rainfall disrupted each street and rail site visitors in Mumbai on Wednesday morning, flooding low-lying areas and leaving commuters stranded throughout rush hours.
Some components of town acquired over 300 mm of rainfall in 24 hours ending at 8 am, officers stated.
There was a second of embarrassment for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Company when its supervisor fell into an open drain whereas Mayor Ritu Tawde was inspecting waterlogged Gandhi Market in King’s Circle. He was shortly pulled out, however a video of the incident went viral very quickly.
Placing up a courageous face, Tawde stated the pre-monsoon preparedness stood the check regardless of practically 250 mm of rainfall being recorded within the 24-hour interval ending at 8 AM, whereas deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi sought the set up of protecting grilles on uncovered sewer holes in water-logging-prone areas.
IMAGE: A lady strikes via a waterlogged space in Mumbai, June 24, 2026. {Photograph}: Sahil Salvi/Rediff
Shiv Sena-UBT MLA and former minister Aaditya Thackeray stated that a number of flights had been cancelled and subways had been flooded.
The BJP managed the BMC for 4 years via an administrator (when elections had been pending), and the current mayor is from the saffron occasion, he stated.
“However she is extra involved about what is occurring in Bangladesh. She doesn’t know what is occurring in Mumbai. We want a mayor who serves Mumbai, however they (the BJP) are busy serving Delhi,” Thackeray stated, taking a swipe at Tawde over her previous statements about unlawful Bangladeshis.
Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad shared a video of the BMC supervisor falling right into a drain on X, concentrating on the mayor.
“This man has fallen into the pit of your inaction and corruption. This isn’t an accident; your corruption has been caught red-handed,” stated town Congress chief.
IMAGE: Rains battered town of Mumbai, making commuting a problem for passengers on June 24, 2026. {Photograph}: Sahil Salvi/Rediff
Manisha Kayande, a frontrunner of the ruling ally Shiv Sena and MLC, urged Tawde to accentuate drain-cleaning to stop waterlogging and site visitors disruptions throughout the monsoon.
The BMC is managed by the BJP and Shiv Sena alliance.
Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide appealed to folks to observe climate advisories and speak to civic management rooms in case of emergencies.
The IMD has issued an ‘orange’ alert for Mumbai and neighbouring Thane and Palghar districts, predicting ‘heavy to very heavy rainfall’ and thunderstorms over the subsequent 24 hours.
The observatory at Colaba in south Mumbai recorded 248 mm rainfall, whereas the suburban observatory at Santacruz logged 225 mm within the 24 hours ending at 8 am on Wednesday, the BMC stated.
Among the many areas that acquired exceptionally heavy rains, Malvani within the western suburbs recorded 340 mm, whereas Parel in central Mumbai acquired 334 mm of rainfall throughout the interval.
The depth lowered later because the island metropolis, japanese and western suburbs recorded 12 mm, 6 mm and seven mm rainfall, respectively, from 8 am to 2 pm, it stated.
IMAGE: An under-construction street will get partially submurged because of rains lashing via Mumbai on June 24, 2026. {Photograph}: Satish Bodas/Rediff
The southwest monsoon reached Mumbai on Tuesday, 13 days after its regular onset date.
The in a single day rain inundated a number of low-lying areas of town by Wednesday morning, affecting street and rail site visitors.
Civic officers stated water accumulation was reported on the Andheri subway, Hindmata and King’s Circle within the morning, affecting vehicular motion and resulting in site visitors congestion on key roads.
Suburban railway companies had been additionally affected as rainwater amassed on tracks at some areas, although officers stated the extent remained under the hazard mark.
A number of commuters complained of delayed companies and overcrowded native trains throughout the morning peak hours, notably on Central Railway corridors.
The heavy rain additionally affected Central Railway’s Trans-Harbour line companies between Thane and Vashi/Panvel in neighbouring Navi Mumbai following a monitor cave-in between Turbhe and Koparkhairane stations, officers stated.
A Central Railway spokesperson stated the up line on the Thane-Vashi part was declared unsafe at 5.06 am, whereas the down line was declared unsafe at 5.50 am, affecting prepare operations.
The up line was restored at 7.27 am with a pace restriction of 10 kmph, whereas the down line was declared protected at 7.35 am with trains permitted to run at 30 kmph.
As per a spokesperson of the Brihanmumbai Electrical Provide and Transport (BEST), buses on greater than 24 routes had been diverted because of heavy rains within the morning.
A excessive tide of three.41 metres was recorded at 8.28 am, whereas one other excessive tide of three.35 metres was anticipated at 7.41 pm, the BMC stated.
Typically, heavy downpours mixed with excessive tide result in waterlogging within the metropolis, which is surrounded by the Arabian Sea on three sides.
MLC Kayande stated some drains had not been cleaned adequately, which contributed to waterlogging in components of town.
“The mayor could must work more durable to wash the nullahs and take away dry waste from them, the MLC stated.
The 248 mm rainfall recorded at Colaba in 24 hours amounted to almost 45 per cent of the station’s seasonal June rainfall of 542 mm.
Equally, Santacruz’s 225 mm rainfall accounted for round 42 per cent of its seasonal June rainfall of 537 mm, underscoring the depth of the downpour, as per the BMC.
The civic physique stated its dewatering pumps, stormwater pumping stations and flood-control techniques had been operational, enabling speedy drainage of amassed water and serving to preserve site visitors motion.
Tawde inspected key flood mitigation infrastructure, together with mini pumping stations at Hindmata and Gandhi Market, in addition to subway areas at Milan, Andheri and Malad.
She stated water amassed in low-lying areas was drained out swiftly, and street and rail site visitors continued with out main disruption.
“General, regardless of the heavy rainfall, regular life in Mumbai stays unaffected, which is a testomony to the great pre-monsoon works carried out this yr,” Tawde stated.
The deputy mayor, in the meantime, requested the municipal company commissioner to conduct a survey of sewer holes in areas liable to waterlogging.
The BMC’s catastrophe administration cell acquired 70 complaints of brief circuits, 113 incidents of timber or branches falling, and 7 experiences of partial home or wall collapses throughout the heavy rains within the 24 hours ending at 8 AM. No accidents or fatalities had been reported
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